'Mark Bittman' on Serious Eats

When I went into my backyard to grill the chicken thighs for this recipe from Mark Bittman, I ran into a neighbor who was cooking some steaks at the same time. He took one look at my chicken and started shaking his head. "Chicken is so hard to cook well, I never grill it." And it struck me then that a lot of people probably feel that way.
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When I went into my backyard to grill the chicken thighs for this recipe from Mark Bittman, I ran into a neighbor who was cooking some steaks at the same time. He took one look at my chicken and started shaking his head. "Chicken is so hard to cook well, I never grill it." And it struck me then that a lot of people probably feel that way. More

Quick weeknight chicken dinner is one of those recipe topics that never gets old. And a recipe that goes from chicken in the fridge to satisfying dinner on the table in under 30 minutes, well even better. This is exactly why these Chicken Cutlets with Quick Pan Sauce from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything The Basics are such a keeper. More

Quick weeknight chicken dinner is one of those recipe topics that never gets old. And a recipe that goes from chicken in the fridge to satisfying dinner on the table in under thirty minutes, well even better. This is exactly why these Chicken Cutlets with Quick Pan Sauce from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything The Basics are such a keeper. More

Worried about ruining a high quality steak? Try Mark Bittman's Grilled or Broiled Steak from How to Cook Everything The Basics. Meat plus salt and pepper plus heat equals a great steak. No fancy stuff, no elaborate technique, just a broiler or a grill, and a knife to test the steak's doneness, and you're done. More

Here's a scenario that we're sure at least a few of you are familiar with. A big, beautiful steak catches your eye at the market, perhaps a dry aged ribeye or a well marbled locally raised T-bone. After a bit of inner dialogue (those things aren't cheap), you take the plug and take the steak home. Then a moment of panic hits. How am I going to cook this thing? What if I overcook it and all of its beefy deliciousness is for naught?
To resolve this beef related quandary, we present Mark Bittman's Grilled or Broiled Steak from How to Cook Everything The Basics. Meat plus salt and pepper plus heat equals a great steak, no fancy stuff, no elaborate technique, just a broiler or a grill, and knife to test the steak's doneness, and done. More

They don't call Mark Bittman, author of How to Cook Everything The Basics, The Minimalist for nothing. His recipes are simple, straightforward, and often pared down to their bare essential ingredients. Plus, he's not one to add in labor intensive steps. Take this Rice Pudding in the Oven—it's a solid dessert that requires nothing more than tossing rice, milk, and sugar into a gratin dish, and baking for roughly two hours. Sure, you have to stir the pot every now and again, but really, it's nearly effortless. And the pudding? Well, it's a beautiful batch of rice pudding: mild, milky, and entirely comforting.
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Bittman's Brownie recipe is a gem, simple and tasty enough to give even the most apprehensive baker that much needed boost of kitchen confidence. Bittman's straight talk advice: "Err on the side of underbaking: An overcooked brownie is dry and cakey, while an undercooked brownie is gooey and delicious" makes for some damned fine brownies. More

Bittman's Brownie recipe is a gem, simple and tasty enough to give even the most apprehensive baker that much needed boost of kitchen confidence. Bittman's straight talk advice: "Err on the side of underbaking: An overcooked brownie is dry and cakey, while an undercooked brownie is gooey and delicious" makes for some damned fine brownies. More

Green beans with almonds is a hall of fame side, right up there with mashed potatoes. But while this is a dish that has the potential to be really wonderful, it rarely is, often veering into blah territory. Leave it to Mark Bittman to show us how to make the best version of this side standard, Green Beans with Crisp Shallots. More

Leave it to Mark Bittman to show us how to make the best version of this side standard, Green Beans with Crisp Shallots. Bittman's go to method for beans with a little bit of bite involves briefly boiling the green beans, shocking them in ice water, and finishing them with a quick trip to the sauté pan. Tossed with crispy sweet butter and olive oil fried shallots, and almonds, if you'd like, this is the recipe that'll have your green beans moving out of blah territory and into much tastier place. More

Simplicity is Mark Bittman's thing. His recipes might not be ground-breakingly new, but they work, and they're solid. He doesn't overthink it; case in point, his Roasted Salmon with Butter from How to Cook Everything The Basics is exactly what it sounds like: salmon, butter plus salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of parsley, if you're feeling fancy. More

Simplicity is Mark Bittman's thing. His recipes might not be ground breakingly new, but they work, and they're solid. He doesn't over think it, case in point, his Roasted Salmon with Butter from How to Cook Everything The Basics is exactly what it sounds like: salmon, butter plus salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of parsley, if you're feeling fancy. More

Mark Bittman is the everyman of cookbook writers. He's accessible in a way that appeals to all levels of cooks, writes in a way that just makes sense, down to earth while producing venerable results. Bittman is solid. Bittman's latest, How to Cook Everything The Basics, is another addition to his oeuvre of indispensable cookbooks. It's the kind of book that timid cooks need to hold their hand in the kitchen, the book that gives adventuresome cooks the guidance to branch out, the kind of book that you'll find yourself referencing again and again. Enter to win a copy here. More

Bittman's column in today's New York Times today makes a good case for making pizza at home, but it's made at the expense of the reputation of New York pizza. But does the recipe he provides in the Times even produce results that are better than the most average of take-out slices? More

It's a big pizza day in the New York Times' Dining Section. As part of "The Pizza Issue," best-selling cookbook author and Times columnist, Mark Bittman, will be conducting an hour long chat over on the NYTimes Facebook page from 3pm to 4pm (EST). More

"You've made ugliness beautiful" is Mark Bittman's promise for this recipe. And he's right: the gnarly, knobby look of celeriac (a.k.a. celery root) is pretty unconvincing when you first see it at the market. But inside is the smooth white flesh that can become a luxurious soup. More

This method for shrimp is inspired by Mark Bittman: cooking the shrimp fast in a hot oven. The flavor is inspired by Amanda Hesser, who zests citrus to flavor the quick-cooking shrimp. The onions are all mine: they're the cheapest accompaniment I could think of, and by flavoring them with pantry basics (mustard, dried herbs, and red pepper), you roast them into the perfect foil for the juicy, lemony shrimp. More

Embracing a less-is-more philosophy when it comes to animal products, these New Crab Cakes are made with equal parts lump crab (preferably responsibly caught and American-sourced) and creamy, mild celery root. If it sounds like an odd combination, all I can say is, don't knock it until you try it. There's something about the sweet shredded celery root that mimics the texture of crab beautifully. More